Something Borrowed
by Cullen Creations
Summary: One stormy evening, he came to see Alice. With secrets of her past that now affect her present, Alice is faced with the truth; she is wanted for her powers, and there are people who will do anything to get her. Told in both Jasper and Alice's POV's.
1. Thirty Minutes

**Chapter One: Thirty Minutes.**

_This is a story I thought up a while ago, but never put to keyboard till now...it was supposed to be a more serious story, but I had to involve humor (it involves Emmett; enough said.) involving a visit by a strange man for Alice, some TV arguing, spying, lying, but, up till now, no dying... and, well, if you want any more description than that, check the summary!_

_Typical junk: I don't own Twilight, please rate and reveiw, peace on earth, and all that jazz. (:_

* * *

_Alice's POV._

It was a typical evening at our house, dark and dreary, dusk having overcome the light just an hour or so earlier. It drew its dark cloak over the horizon, enveloping the surrounding forrest in its nearly impenetrable deep. Rain had just begun, heavy against the full glass windows in the front of the house. Thunder was audible the distance, louder to our ears than normal ones. I relished in the rolls of the loud booming, imagining it as drums upon the trees.

Edward was sprawled across the white leather sectional's chaise in the living room, Bella beside him, their legs intertwined. Renesmee was in bed already, Jacob nearby, sleeping not far from her window, I was sure. Emmet laid across the couch on the other side of me, his hulking figure taking up nearly seven feet of the large sofa, Rosalie sitting beside him with his head in her lap. Jasper and I were the only ones sitting on the floor, which I preferred, me sitting beside him, his arm around my shoulder and holding my hand, my head leaning against the couch.

"Do we have to watch this, Emmett?" Edward groaned lightly, gesturing to the wrestling match on the enormous plasma flat screen TV opposite us. Bella chuckled and trailed a finger over Edward's jaw, his face softening at her touch. Jasper stiffened, and I knew he was feeling the lust in their emotions shift. I giggled.

"Yeah, Emmett, seriously.." Jasper cringed as one masked, buff man charged towards the other, dressed in bright red white and blue. He threw him the ground, his face colliding with the ring floor, nose giving slightly as blood leaked upon the ground. He shifted uncomfortably, and I tightened my grip around his wrist. He slid his arm from my shoulders to my waist, breathing between clenched teeth. Human blood, even that which was not perceptible to his heightened sense of smell, still pained him.

"Emmett…" I began.

He threw up his hands before I even had the chance to finish my request. "Fine, fine! Fine. Whatever," he exclaimed, tossing the remote to the floor. I giggled as she reached out with a slender, pale foot for the remote, drawing it across the white rug. My toes were painted lime green, a color Jasper had chosen. I felt light and happy, and looked towards Jasper, who was grinning brightly at me. I knew he loved my emotions; they were the most concentrated of anyone's he had ever known, he'd told me. It may have had something to do with how in tune we were with each other, though he claimed that was only part of it. I didn't argue. It meant he was happy.

"Give me the remote, Alice, I have a program I want to watch," Edward said, reaching towards me.

"No way, Eddie," I said, and he growled low at my use of his nickname. "It's my turn. Besides, you'll probably pick some boring, educational bologna to watch…"

"Is that a challenge?" Edward said, sitting up.

"Maaaybe," I teased.

"You are on, shrimp cake."

In a flash, we were both off the couch, Edward in a low crouch, a snarl forming on his pale lips, me clutching the remote and prepared to dodge. He lunged for me, impossibly fast, but I glided out of his way, twirling to his exposed back before leaping him from behind, fingers around his neck.

"Edward! Alice!" Bella cried, standing. She was still not used to this kind of improptu violence, having only been a vampire for a few years now. But when you had this kind of power to spend, and these kind of people to use it on- Edward, cocky and volatile, Emmett, strong and annoying- who could blame us?

"Alice," Jasper sighed as Edward threw me off his back. I skidded to a halt just inches from the glass wall, jumping a good nine feet in the air to avoid his second lunge, "Please?"

With a sigh, I stood straight. Edward seethed, silently returning to his place beside Bella, who sat slowly. Emmett laughed heartily. "Way to lose, Ed. Not as fit as you used to be, I see?"

Edward bared his teeth, hissing, but Bella touched his shoulder gently, reminding him that he had just gotten done fighting me. Triumphantly, I glided slowly over to Jasper, holding the remote in Edward's easy glance as he fumed, glaring at me. But before I sat down (and certainly before I had had time to gloat fully,) I gasped.

"Alice?" Jasper asked, but his voice sounded far away.

Slowly, my world was becoming black. The present was melting into the back of my mind, and new shapes began to take my conciousness. I unwillingly left the family room, finding myself deposited outside. It was pouring rain, now, thundering and lighting. I could make out a figure in the distance, tall, thin, and vampire. He wore all black and strode through the downpour at a slow and carefree pace, in sharp contrast with his serious looks.

I turned, and saw about the same distance away behind me the Cullen mansion, its glass windows illuminated by the lamps within. I could make out eight pale figures in the entryway, anxiously looking out upon the woods, waiting.

Just as quickly as the vision had come upon me, the darkness and rain and fear of the future melted away and I found herself back in the living room. I was seated on the couch, probably by Jasper during my vision. Bella sat beside me, eyes wide with fright, Edward stood before me, eyes wide, and Jasper kneeled on the floor in front of me, still slightly taller than me as I sat while on his knees.

"Alice? Alice?" I heard him say, his voice slowly coming into focus.

Bella touched my arm lightly, stroking my cold skin. I shivered.

"What did you see, love? What happened?" Jasper prompted, his golden eyes big and pleading, filled with concern. I was glad he understood how weak I felt after my visions, and did not impatiently push me for answers like some might. I also felt guilty, however, knowing how much it frightened him to feel my emotions as I drifted out of the present and into the past.

"I…" I began, but I shivered again. Jasper quickly took me up in his arms, and I couldn't help it, I let out a single sob.

"Oh, Alice…" Bella murmured, laying her hand on my knee comfortingly.

"I saw someone coming," I said, my voice cracking. "For me, I think…I don't know why. I just get the feeling that…he's coming to tell me something, or do something to me…" I gripped jasper's t shirt. "Oh, Jazz…"

"I'll protect you," he said. "But was this a vampire?"

"Yes, a male. He looked like someone from the Volturi, almost." Edward responded for me. I was grateful he was able to articulate for me. Sometimes, his skill really did come in handy.

"He wasn't, though", I stated. "He was…different. Not linked to them," Jasper pulled away to look at me. I shook my head. Something was off. There was something wrong about this picture.

"Edward, go and…" Jasper began, but Edward was already halfway up the stairs, hearing his thoughts. Normally, Jasper would have gotten an annoyed look on his face, and I would have giggled, but I was in no mood for this now. Edward was down the stairs seconds later, Carlisle close behind. Esme was in the room a few seconds later.

"Alice," Carlisle said, coming over to me, taking Bella's place beside me as she stood and moved over to where Edward stood. "What did you see? Tell me every detail."

I took a deep, unnecessary breath before giving the short yet detailed story to him, talking as fast as my mouth would allow. Jasper gripped me, his face determined, Bella's eyes widening with the description of the strange figure.

"It sounds like he'll be here tonight," Edward said when I had finished.

"Is this correct, Alice?" Carlisle asked me, and I merely nodded.

"I think we have about thirty minutes."

Esme sucked in her breath and came up behind the couch to wrap her slender arms around my shoulders. "Edward," Carlisle said, standing up to face his son, "This could be very serious, as you know. I believe that it is important that we treat this…visitor, as gracefully as possible, and make sure we find out what he wants exactly before we jump to any conclusions." He eyed Jasper. "That goes for you too, Jasper. I don't want to upset him, in the case that the consequences could be…significant."

Emmett growled. "Well, I won't be letting this guy go without a fight." He cracked his knuckles, his normally happy face contorted with anger. I began to feel terrrible. All of this anger and sadness because of me? It didn't seem fair to anyone, didn't seem just.

Carlisle looked pointedly at him. "You may have to. We will do whatever is best for Alice," he said, and I felt Jasper press a kiss to my temple.

"It will be fine," he whispered into my ear, burrying his face in my hair.

But I wasn't so sure.


	2. Defensive?

**Chapter 2: Defensive?**

_Hi! I'm glad you guys seemed to like the first chapter. I wrote this one right after I wrote the first, but wanted to wait a day before posting it so I could edit it fully and give people time to get into it._

_Yes, this story is set after BD, hence Bella's vampirism, the existance of Renesmee, yada yada. I figured that it would be easier to focus on this one event without Bella's human needs in the way (;_

_Well, thanks again for all your wonderful reveiws! I'm really glad some people like this. I enjoy it too. Hope you like this chapter as well!_

* * *

_Jasper's POV._

It was about twenty eight minutes after Alice had had her first vision, and the storm outside had intensified. The entire family stood in the entryway, peering out into the darkness, waiting.

Usually, is was quite easy for us to see in the dark, but the lack of moonlight mixed with the terrible rain outside made it somewhat difficult even for us. Carlisle stood closest to the door, stiff but calm, waiting. Esme stood a few feet behind him, at his request, protected by his fit frame. Edward stood at the entryway to the living room, both arms around Bella, whose eyes were wide with worry, darting to Alice often. Edward looked and felt determined, protective, and quite angry.

I knew that most of this was for Bella; like with me and Alice, (though weaker, I'm sure), he wanted nothing more than to protect his wife. But I knew that, if Bella was safe, and Renesmee was with her, he would jump to Alice's defense without a second thought. I couldn't blame him for counting his sister third, since I knew I would do the same thing. Alice was, simply put, my life. The only thing that mattered.

Rosalie sat near us in the tufted chair set between the entryway and the stairs, Emmett leaning against it, holding her hand. To humans, they probably looked like they were modeling for a catalog or something. Alice and I stood the furthest from the door, next to the stairs, I clutching her with all my might, my eyes focusing on nothing but her. Suddenly, she shook, gasping, and I felt terror crash into me.

You see, Alice's emotions are decidedly the most intense I have ever felt, even of my own family. This always intrigued me; how could one feel such high levels of excitement and pure joy and also those of such low sorrow and fear in the same existence? I knew some of this was due to my love for her, just like how she was able to see my future clearly even when she tried not to, but I also knew that this was one of the extraordinary things about my Alice that set her apart from the rest.

This is important to know if one was to want to understand how I feel whenever Alice has a vision. When she leaves me physically, as with the Volturi, it is as if I am gone. Not even just part of me, because, as far as I am concerned, she is me. She is my everything, my life, or, more exactly, my existence. When she is not there, nothing is there. But when she leaves me- emotionally, mentally, spiritually- it is another thing entirely. It is a loss of hope, a loss of love, of will to go on. Like being thrown in a lightless hell for all of eternity.

Her fear entering a vision is automatic, I know, and she has told me many a time how bad she feels for making me feel that. But I know that, if I had the choice, which, as far as I am concerned, I do not, I would never leave her side. I would go through that every minute of forever if it meant having her with me.

Alice sighed as she returned to the present, her gold eyes refocusing, but her fear and apprehension remaining. "He's coming," she whispered, but we all heard.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened. I was aware of his heightened rage as his head snapped towards us, eyes boring into Alice. "Never, Alice, _ever _think that again." he growled.

"What did she think?" I said out loud, feeling her sadness wash over me.

"She's thinking that we should all just let her face this…thing….on her op\wn, and let this man do as he pleases with her. Even take her, if it means not causing us the trouble." Edward seethed, emphasizing every word. I gasped, spinning Alice around to face me, leaning down to her so my face was only inches above her own.

"_What?_ Alice. Alice, never, just…" I was so stricken, I could not even speak. "Never think that, Alice. I will never let you. Without you….there's nothing for me. If you're gone, I'm gone. I need you, Alice, and there is no me without you. I will never let you go, do you hear me?" I said, and her eyes looked down.

"Yes, Jazz," she said softly, "I-" but I cut her off, kissing her quickly.

"He's here," Carlisle said, his voice measured and even.

I peered out into the night and saw the figure, very much like Alice (and, later, Edward,) had detailed him. He was tall, about my height, and thin as Alice, but the lack of muscle clinging to his bones made him look positively skeletal. His skin was not a normal white, it had a grayish tint to it, but was illuminated by the light of the house all the same. He was dressed oddly in a black trench coat and black top hat with a silver band about it, tufts of thin black hair sticking out underneath the brim. He looked to be about thirty in human time, which was quite old for most vampires, but the way he carried himself made it obvious he was really much older than that. His face was angular, but his thinness made his sharp, large features protrude even further from his sullen face, the hollows beneath his eyes seeming endlessly deep, his features taught, his eyes dark, appearing black from a distance.

Instinctively, I growled, tightening my hands around Alice.

He walked towards the house slowly, at about a running pace for humans, gliding over the rocks and grass of the cleared yard area in front of the house that sloped down into green wood. He reached the driveway, making it to the doorway in a few moments.

I held my breath as he loosened a bony white hand from his pockets and wrapped upon the door. It was clear as Carlisle opened it that this was all a charade; clearly, he knew we were vampires, was here for a reason, and knew we were waiting for him. Fear washed over me as I realized that he must have known about Alice's power, and, since he hadn't done anything to avoid her seeing it beforehand, his plans were decided, no matter what we did.

"Hello," Carlisle exclaimed companionably, standing away from the door but still in front of Esme as the figure walked in. "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. How do you do?"

"Hello, Doctor," the man said, removing his coat and rubbing his boots across the rug before the door, smiling at Esme. She gave a feeble smile back. Yes, he knew more about us than we had predicted.

"May I ask who you are, and maybe why you've come here, or where you're from?" Carlisle asked, taking the man's coat and handing it to Esme to put in the hall closet. I let my glance drift to Edward, not bothering with Emmett and Rosalie. His eyes were fixed on the man, his face unreadable, but his emotions were slightly horror stricken, suspicious.

"I am here to speak to a member of your coven in particular," the man said, never removing his tophat. "My name is Daniel." Gracisouly, Carlisle ignored the unanswered questions the man had left, and smiled at him.

"We prefer to think of ourselves as…well, a kind of family."

"Ah?" The man asked, but his face made it clear this was no suprise. "That is certainly not typical of vampires, you know. Very uncommon."

"Yes, well, we all are…quiet bonded, protective of one another. Allow me to introduce my family to you," Carlisle said, gesturing to each family member as he spoke. "This is Edward, my first son, and Bella, his wife. Over there is Rosalie, my first daughter, and Emmett, also my son, and her husband. There's Jasper, my newest son, and Alice, his wife and my daughter, and here, of course, is Esme, my lovely wife." He drew an arm around her, hugging her as he ended.

The man sucked in a breath, looking to each member of our clan. He showed no preference or recognition. I noticed how Carlisle had conveniently left out Bella's former human state, not to mention Renesmee.

"Very lovely," the man said curtly, before turning his attention to something else. "I noticed a peculiar, strong scent outside your house," he moved closer to us as he spoke. I quelled the anger inside of me, using all my might not to leap for him and crack his neck. "Do you share the area with any other….predators?"

If Carlisle was surprised by this topic, he didn't show it. "Well, not exactly. You see, there is a preserve nearby where some werewolves live, but we've had a treaty with them for a long time. Our lands are separate."

"Interesting," the man looked down to his clothes, an old looking black suit, which, despite its age, was perfectly pressed and free of wear. "I hope I am not making you uncomfortable with my…formal wear. You see, I'm off to meet someone after this. I wish to chat with a member of your family in particular." His emotions told me that he cared little of our comfort; he was only here for one thing, though I had no idea what it was. "Alice?" he asked, looking directly at my little pixie. This time, I couldn't help it. A hiss, low but audible, found its way into the room. David did not seem to notice.

"Hello," she said, her voice not one bit subdued.

To my surprise, David smiled at her. "I wish to speak with you…perhaps, in private?"

That did it. There was no way he would have my Alice alone. I sunk into a defensive position in front of Alice, this time, letting my roar wrip forth.

"Ah, I see someone is a little…defensive? Don't worry, lad, I won't harm your mate." His voice had an Irish edge to it, which he'd let slip through. I sneered at him.

"Jasper," Carlisle said softly. I waited a few more moments before relaxing, but still standing in front of Alice, refusing to move. Carlisle gently came over and took Alice by the arm, leading her away from me before letting her go a few feet away. I felt my dead heart drop.

"If you don't mind, I would like to be there while you speak with my daughter," Carlisle said. Alice looked calm and collected, but did not meet David's eyes, only looked intently at Carlisle as he led the two of them into the dining room. I watched as they left, feeling my hope and light leave.

Turning to Edward, I finally saw him let go of his sturdy expression, his face dropping into a mask of horror before he managed to speak.

"He has a power, too."

This was gonna be one long night.


	3. Conversation

**Chapter 3: Conversation**

_EEK! I realized while looking at my reveiws and writing this and reading over the last chapter that I originally called the weirdo man Daniel, then referred to him as David for the entire rest of the chapter -_- I guess we should just go with David, considering I wrote this whole chapter with him as David before realizing.. I'm really sorry, you guys! Please forgive me!_

_Aside from that, I hope you guys really like this chapter. It's definitely got more to it than the last, and it's pretty long. Lots of questions get answered too, but....well, okay, some new ones get brought up. xD I hope you love the little bit of humor thrown in there. And I hope you understand the conversation, it's kind of complicated, but I trust you guys are up to it._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Jasper's POV._

_"He has a power, too."_

"What…what do you mean?" I asked, feeling faint.

Edward's face went hard. "He's some kind of shield. But…he can control it."

"Wait," Bella interjected. "A shield like me?"

"Yes, but…different. It's like he can just sleect what gets in and what doesn't. As soon as he'd asked about the wolves, he cut me short." Edward shook his head. "It's truly quite peculiar. Like he has a sense of who posses what powers around him, and can almost turn them off."

"What do you mean?" I asked, nearly shaking.

"I mean, when he shut me out, he shut me off. I couldn't hear anyone."

"_What_?" Emmmett exclaimed. "Is that even possible?"

"Apparently," Edward muttered. "But it's back again- it came back as soon as he was out of the room. He suddenly turned to Esme. "Carlisle isn't aware of this," he stated. "Maybe you could let him know?"

She nodded, disappearing for a moment. When she returned, she looked flustered. "He knows now," she said, "and asked me to tell you not to try and intrude upon the conversation. He thinks that maybe that it'd be better to play to David's….trust."

"Trust?" I nearly shrieked. "He's here to hurt Alice, and Carlisle wants us to _trust_ him?!"

"Now, Jasper, nobody said he was here to hurt Alice," Edward corrected. I growled at him. Always the voice of reason. "And, you know Carlisle would never let pain come to Alice. I'm sure she'll be fine." Angry as I was, he was right.

I felt defeated; I wanted nothing more than to protect my love, but the objections against my action were too clear. Touching my shoulder gently and giving me a warming smile, Esme ascended the steps, followed by Bella, who was no doubt going to check upon Renesmee. Edward gave me a warning glance before he departed with them.

I slumped upon the steps, head in my hands, wanting to tear myself apart. I was supposed to wait here while that...that _thing _hurt my poor little pixie? Just wait, helpless, for her to come back, unshed tears in her eyes?

That's when I came up with my idea.

"Emmett, do you still have that spy gear Alice gave you as a gift two Christmas' ago?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think it's stuffed in my closet somewhere." He snorted. "What would I ever use that for, anyway?"

I smiled.

***

"What do you mean, they've gone to hunt?" Edward asked Esme.

"Don't ask me. Rosalie came and told me a few minutes ago." The large funnel we'd stuck to the wall made their words perfectly clear, something even our senses wouldn't have managed outside the house.

I sat outside our mansion, my ear pressed against the reciever of the sounds amp from Emmett's spy gear.

"I'm sure that you could go and catch up to them if you'd like."

"Crap," Emmett said, but I shushed him.

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Esme. I'd better go back upstairs to Bella and Renesmee." And with that, I heard his quick and light footfalls up to the second floor.

Emmett cackled quietly, rubbing his dusty palms together. "This is sweet, dude. A stakeout. I like it."

"Emmett, this is serious," I said, sparing a glance at him. "I need to know what they're talking about."

"Whatever," he said, eyeing a five-point buck out in the edge of the woods down the driveway. I noticed it too, but my attention was, for the moment, focused wholly on only Alice's safety. "I'll be right back," he muttured, and slinked off after his next meal.

I sighed as he left, glad to finally be alone. Shifting the cone, I refocused on the conversation at hand.

"I've come to speak with you about a quite…pressing matter," I heard an eerily quiet voice rasp. David. I hissed involuntarily. There was murmurring, and I heard Carlisle say something I couldn't quite catch. I sighed, frustrated, and adjusted the cone.

"I've been researching your case for quite some time," he said, and I was frightened. The only thing in Alice's past was the asylum. I heard paper's rustling, and Alice gasp. Keeping myself from lunging through, yes, _through,_ the walls and into the dining room, I pressed the device firmer into the siding, waiting.

* * *

_Alice's POV._

Sitting at the ornate dining room table felt odd. We almost never used this room, as it was meant simply for show. But now, my cold palms hidding under Esme's precious antique table, I looked over it at the figure I'd seen in my vision, only many times more cold in person.

Carlisle sat closer to me, on the opposite side of David, who sat on my right, down three or four chairs. I was glad that he'd kept his distance.

"My business here is rather simple," he began, adjusting his top hat upon his head. "Alice, I've come to speak with you about a quite…pressing matter. Is has to do with a few things in your past that aren't quite cleared up." He tried to be friendly, but his tone did not sway me. I gripped Carlisle's hand tighter beneath the polished oak wood.

"What kinds of things?" I asked innocently, not sure I wanted to know.

"Keep in mind," he said, ignoring my question altogether, "that I am not here to hurt you. In fact, my proposal is strictly of peace."

"Uh-huh," I said. Like an overpriced knock-off handbag, I wasn't buying any of it.

"Please, David, if you will be so kind as to elaborate upon that for us?" Prompted Carlisle, always the perfect and polite host to the creepiest of threats.

He reached into his suit coat and brandished a manilla envelope of papers, black and white and flecked, as if they'd be crewdly copied in a rush. I felt my amber eyes narrow. "Well, you see, I know a little…more than you probably do about your past in the asylum, Alice. But I have come across a few clues to some things I did not know."

"Excuse me?" I asked, taken aback.

"I've been researching your case for quite some time," he said with a smile, "and I must confess, you are quite lucky to have been changed to a vampire when you were. In fact, your euthanization was scheduled for the next month."

I felt myself shake. I was sentenced to die? And this made him…smile? Furious, I stood, snatching the wad of papers from him. He sat patiently, like I was an angry and defiant student who would soon realize how wrong they were.

_Bad move, buddy,_ I thought. _Very bad move._

Sifting through the papers at lightning fast speed, it all suddenly becamse very clear. These looked quite similar to the ones that I kept locked upstairs in my room, the ones I'd stolen from my old asylum. These papers recorded my past, every day recorded for future reference. I scanned the pages quickly. Mainly, they listed the drugs I was on, changes in my medication or behavior. Some told of the times I was electrocuted, and there was even a note that said, *Remember to have execution papers signed by state by 21st. I shuddered as my past came flooding back to me in this paper form, the images and memories taking shape in my head like I was reading a story book.

It was some while before I finally set the papers down, unable to say anything, to voice how I felt. Carlisle took them quickly, scanning over them with the eyes of a doctor. If he was surprised, he hid it well. I barely noticed as he set the files down and pushed them across the table toward David. A little, masochistic part of me screamed, told me to take them back, to know more. But at the moment, my brain did not work with the rest of myself.

David was bright enough to realize that any kind of smile would surely have sent me hurtling for his neck, as his stone face gave away. But he didn't put the papers away. He simply pulled another item from his jacket; a piece of metal, rusty and old. I was dimly aware of my surroundings as he pushed it across the table, but, upon seeing it, I snapped back to reality.

"This is something I found in the files as well. Can you tell me what you remember of it?"

I dared not touch the dusty, yellowed ID bracelet before me, its burgundy cross looking like blood, the clasp like a shackle. "I…" I began, but could not continue.

"I understand, child. No need to stress over this. It was obviously given to you when you were admited, something you can not be expected to remember."

I seethed at his newfound understanding. "How do you know about me?"

For the first time, he showed genuine surprise. "Well, I kept watch on many of the patients at your hospital for a time, and when you disappeared, I was very aware of it. You see, I worked there, in the medical and therapeuticc department, a vampire, but only secretly, of course," he said with a chuckle.

I screamed, fully and audibly, at this. "WHY. Why were you watching me?" I yelled.

"Alice, calm down," Carlisle said, restraining me from lunging for David. "I'm sure this will all become clear in good time."

"Alice, you must understand something about me," David said quietly, calm as ever. "As a human, I was a doctor, much like Carlisle. I helped a lot of people, and loved what I did. I was, however, not very good at taking….failures. I felt connected to each and every one of my patients, and when one out of a handful would die, part of me died, too.

After many years, I just couldn't stand it. I jumped in a lake I'd found deserted many miles out in the forest." David's expression was blank as he spoke, leaving me, and I was sure, Carlisle, suspicious. "I remember being pulled out, the searing pain…then a few days later, I awoke, a newborn vampire. Since then, I've tried to help people, feeling like I always had the option of…changing someone to fall back on. It took me many years to come to look at my profession the same, but with my new assurance, I forged ahead."

David grimaced, although the painful part of his story was over. "I had always been bad at shutting things out, little annoyances in my life. But when I became a vampire, this changed. I have a power as well; the power to shut out or 'turn off' others powers that affect those around them."

I stiffened, my eyes slipping to Carlisle, who didn't look the least bit worried.

"I worked at your asylum, like I said, to help take care of the patients. You were, as I also mentioned, scheduled to be euthan-"

"You turned me." It was more a statement than a question.

David shook his head fervently. "No, certainly not. I only changed those who couldn't be saved. But I did prevent you from being completely killed. You see, that vampire James found you, took you away. He was a tracker, so I followed him, managing to scare him away before…." suddenly, David went cold, like he'd remembered something important.

"Well, you can probably draw your own conclusions on that one," he said curtly. He shoved the folder into his jacket in an almost angry fashion. "You can keep the bracelet," he said, using his chin to point to it. "Maybe you'll understand better from it."

"What is this all about?" Carlisle asked.

"Alice, my point here is, you are not safe from your past. There are people out there that know about you and want your powers." David's eyes were narrowed, focused on my reaction. I simply stared at him.

"Go on," Carlisle said after a moment.

David sighed, and I resisted the urge to sock him in the gut. "You see, I was not the only one watching you in the asylum. There were others, rivals of James, actually, that wanted to turn you and then use you. Now that you're already turned, they've decided that if they can't have you, nobody can.

"What?" I asked. This was impossible. I'd known the Volturi wanted me, but now somebody else did? Man, was I a hot commodity of the worst kind.

"I'm willing to take you to my coven and offer you protection. I live with a group of vampires that all possess similar gifts. We fight to protect people who could be used as vampires for a….less than cordial purpose."

"I've never heard of such a group," Carlisle said softly.

"Ah, we're fairly new. There's about ten or so of us, but we'd love more. There are vampires out there who have decided that if they can't create a newborn army, they want the most skilled vampires they can find. Mainly, to take down the Volturi."

"But why? How doesn't the Volturi know about this?" I whispered, things moving too fast for me to put the puzzle pieces together. Someone was out to get me? To either take me away or kill me?

"They're very secretive."

"Why not alert them?"

"I'm sure you understand that the Volturi aren't the most democratic vampires around. They will kill anyone involved, regardless of what side they're on. This means that telling them would be digging our own graves. So we've decided to…leave them out of it. The fact that they would love to turn around and use anyone with powers even after having just exterminated other vampires who tried to do so is another reason. They'd essentially be killing their rivals. It's hypocrisy, really, so we choose not to bother them."

"So, what am I supposed to do about it?" I asked. The way he made it seem, we were being let in on a whole other war we'd known nothing about.

"We need your help, Alice. If you don't come with us, someone will make you come with them. Either the one's creating the army, or the Volturi themselves," David said simply. Then he stood.

"Leaving so soon?" Carlisle interjected smoothly.

"Yes," David said. "As I said, I have other places to be. Think about this offer, Alice. I'll be back for your decision when I get the chance."

I stared blankly as he walked out of the room, Carlisle walking him to the door. As I heard quiet goodbyes exchanged, it all hit me.

Someone was out there. They were creating an army. They would kill to have me. The Volturi would do the same. I was dead.

I slumped upon the table.


End file.
